S-EAPOLITANS.J 



PIGS, 



[FRENCH BEEEDS. 



as a necessity to their comfort and happiness, 

 if not absolutely to their existence. Even at 

 the present day, the hogs of Spanish Estrema- 

 dura are mostly reared on the acorns of the 

 Ballota oak. In the Westphalian species, the 

 colour of the adult varies. Many are so 

 coloured, that, were it not for their superior 

 condition and less bristly appearance, it would 

 not be an easy matter to point out any striking 

 difference between them and their feral rela- 

 tives ; but in every case, whatever may be the 

 hue of the parents, the young are, at birth, and 

 for some months afterwards, marked with the 

 longitudinal bauds so characteristic of their 

 wild blood. In several parts of England, espe- 

 cially in the New Eorest, herds of swine are 

 permitted to roam at large during the acorn 

 season, and, when driven home, are said to be 

 in prime condition. Erom this circumstance 

 it may readily be inferred how valuable were 

 the oak forests of our forefathers to their very 

 subsistence, by enabling them to feed and 

 fatten their swine. Indeed, one of the most 

 oppressive measures of William the Conqueror, 

 was that by which be converted the English 

 forests into hunting-grounds, and thereby de- 

 prived the people of the means of rearing their 

 hogs to a good condition. It was felt to be 

 such a grievance, that King John was called 

 upon to remit it at Euunymede, when, on 

 June 19th, 1215, he was, by his assembled 

 subjects, forced to sign Jilagna Cliarta. Swine, 

 like some other animals, seem naturally dis- 

 posed to return to their feral condition, should 

 an opportunity offer, and the circumstances be 

 favourable to their feeding. Mowbray tells us, 

 that two young boars, retiring into a wood 

 between Colchester and Mersey Island, con- 

 tinued, for years, to be the terror of the 

 neighbourhood. The Westphalian swine are 

 seldom over-fat; but they are not on that 

 account to be deemed difficult to fatten. On 

 the contrary, they take on fat with great readi- 

 ness, and attain to an enormous weight. 



THE NEAPOLITAN BREED. 

 The colour of the Neapolitan breed is black, 

 with little hair on their bodies, and no bristles 

 whatever. Their flesh has a very delicate 

 flavour, the fat being entirely destitute of that 

 rankness whiah characterises that of some 

 other varieties. Most of the native Euo-lish 

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breeds may be improved by a cross with the 

 Neapolitan. Indeed, by far the larger portion 

 of the middle breed of pigs, in all the counties 

 of England, manifest some relationship to it 

 by the existence of blue spots on different 

 parts of the body. Mr. Eowlandson, the 

 author of the Prize Essay of the Eoyal Agri- 

 cultural Society of England, on the Manage' 

 inent of Pigs, endeavours to prove that the 

 Neapolitan is the original breed of pigs ; 

 and even urges that the Essex, or rather the 

 improved Essex breed, is due to that race, of 

 which he says it is an improvement ; but Mr. 

 Milburn thinks that the Italian climate, 

 operating on the wild boar domesticated, as 

 well as that of China, softened down the as- 

 perity of activity and bristles, and made the 

 soft delicate animal we now see, in the shape 

 of the one or the other of these varieties. 

 ""With the true Berkshire breed," he continues, 

 ** the Neapolitan produces a cross, to be sur- 

 passed by none in every desirable quality that 

 the breeder could look for, more especially if a 

 dash of the lohite Chinese be added. The inter- 

 mixture of these three breeds — the Neapolitan, 

 Chinese, and Berkshire — may be regarded, if 

 done judiciously, as the ne plus ultra of swine- 

 breeding Thus was produced that long- 

 celebrated breed kept by Lord Harborough. 

 After having been a short time in this country, 

 the Neapolitan hog begins to lose his naked 

 appearance, and to acquire a coat better 

 suited to the more chilly climate into which 

 he baa been introduced." 



THE FRENCH BREEDS. 

 It is believed that the French breeds have 

 some relationship to the Chinese variety of 

 the hog, as the breeders of that nation have 

 been long acquainted with the valuable 

 qualities of the variety which claims the 

 celestial empire for its original habitat. The 

 most distinguished of these breeds are those 

 of Poitou, the Pays d'Auge, Perigord, Cham- 

 pagne, and Bologna. In describing these, it 

 may be observed that the Poitou breed has a 

 long and somewhat large head, with pendu- 

 lous and rather coarse ears — an elongated 

 body, broad and strong feet, and large bones, 

 with coarse bristles and hair. That of the 

 Pays d'Auge has a sharp muzzle, and a smaller 

 head, narrow and pointed ears, long body, 



